


Concerned

by LoveChilde



Category: White Collar
Genre: A con is born, Collection: Purimgifts Day 1, Community: purimgifts, Gen, Kidfic, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-06
Updated: 2016-03-06
Packaged: 2018-05-25 03:15:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6178045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveChilde/pseuds/LoveChilde
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One of Neal's- or rather, Danny's earliest brushes with Authority. Should Ellen be more concerned?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Concerned

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elrhiarhodan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elrhiarhodan/gifts).



Paul Zimmer, grade school principal, looked at Ellen disdainfully over the rims of his glasses. “And you are?”

“Ellen Parker.” She smiled her best ‘harmless’ smile. “I’m Danny’s aunt.” 

“I asked to meet with your mother, young man.” The same disdainful look turned on Danny- and after five years in WitSec, Ellen still thought of herself as Kathryn, and of Danny as Neal, even though she knew it was a risk- and the boy, all tousled black hair and bright blue eyes, calmly handed over a note in an envelope.

“My mom’s not feeling well, she asked Aunt Ellen to come see you instead.” His voice turned low and conspiratorial, and a little put-upon, “Mom told Aunt Ellen she can ground me if she thinks I deserve it!” 

“And she may well think that you do, when we are finished here.” The principal looked at the note from Danny’s mother, and shrugged, not pleased with this development but unable to do anything in the face of the clearly signed instruction. 

Ten minutes later, it was Ellen’s turn to give the principal a frankly disbelieving look. “Wait. You are telling me that Danny pushed the clock in the classroom back by fifteen minutes- and it took his teacher two weeks to notice?”

“I think how long it took her to notice is besides the point.” The man was on the defensive already, which was exactly what Ellen had intended. “The fact is that Danny disrupted the class, and disrespected his teacher and this school, and-”

“How did he disrupt the class, Mr. Zimmer? Did he slow the rest of the class down? Stop his teacher from teaching, perhaps?” Ellen interrupted, keeping him on the defensive. She knew that Danny was studying her every move, learning how to do this himself, and that worried her a little, but he didn’t need trouble at school on top of everything else. “Can you show me any way in which somebody else was inconvenienced by this change, except for the kids who had their recess time cut short, and don’t seem to be complaining about it?” That no one in a class of thirty kids could tell time enough to notice they were losing recess time was also a concern- except she knew for a fact that Danny could tell time just fine.

“Well, no- but Danny can’t just change things to suit himself! The point was that he was doing it to get away with being late to school, and that cannot continue. And we can’t allow it to pass without some kind of consequence.” The principal blustered. “Now, normally we don’t suspend students for anything less than physical violence and the equivalent, but-”

“Oh, I think suspension won’t be at all appropriate.” Again, Ellen cut in smoothly. “Suspension is basically giving him time off from school, that’s more a prize than punishment. Why not give him a more educational punishment? Like...” She pretended to think for a moment, “Have him help out at the school library after school. Say, three times a week for a month? That should help him pay back the class time he missed, shouldn’t it?” 

The principal’s mouth opened and closed once. He turned the idea over in his mind briefly, and then nodded. That kind of punishment, Ellen knew, would be much easier to explain away, and would keep Danny in class and at the library where a teacher could keep an eye on him. She knew it appealed to the principal, but wasn’t sure he’d go along with an idea that wasn’t his own until the man nodded. “That seems appropriate. Very well. And I trust that his mother will handle this at home as well?”

“Oh, certainly.” Ellen lied with a smile. “Remember those grounding rights? I’m about to use them.” She gave Danny a sharp look, and he adopted the appropriately cowed look of a child about to be punished. 

“Agreed, then. Danny, report to the library after school tomorrow. I’ll speak with Mrs. Reynes and update her. And- Danny, no more messing about with clocks, d’you hear? You’ll just have to get to school on time from now on, or face the consequences.”

“Yes Sir.” Danny was every inch the repentant school boy. 

That facade lasted until they were just out of sight of the school, when the sheepish look changed into a wide grin. “Ellen, you know I _like_ helping out at the library, right?”

“Uh huh.” She didn’t look at him as they walked, “Danny, why didn’t you tell me you had trouble getting to school on time?”

He shrugged, his expression guarded, “Didn’t wanna be a bother. I manage okay.” 

“Why don’t I come over tomorrow morning and help you with your mom, hm?” She offered in a neutral voice, as if it didn’t matter much.

“I guess...that’d be okay.” He was silent for a while, and then added, “Thanks.” 

“Anytime, kiddo. Should I be more concerned about how well you forge your mom’s signature?”

“I dunno, how concerned are you now?”

“ _Danny_...” Ellen rolled her eyes, exasperated. “You realize you’re still grounded, right?”

“ _What?_ But you said-”

“I said you can’t change everything to suit yourself, kid. Like moving the hands of the clock didn’t change the time, the fact that your principal isn’t as smart as you doesn’t change the fact that you’re still grounded.”

“Aw, Ellen…”

“Don’t ‘aw Ellen’ me, kid. The world doesn’t always go along with what you want. Better start learning that early.”

Three minutes later, he was chattering on about sneaking into the grown up section at the library and reading about art, and Ellen thought that maybe she was wrong; maybe he _could_ just adjust the world to fit his wishes.

She wondered whether she should be more concerned about that. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Art credits: Salvador Dali, AllGreatStuf on Etsy, Kazuki Yamamoto’s painting on coffee, Michael Brewer Photography of Venetian artwork.   
> I apologize for my miserable art skills. None of the above belongs to me. Happy Purim!


End file.
